Make India Asbestos Free

Journal of Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI). Asbestos Free India campaign of BANI is inspired by trade union leader Purnendu Majumadar. It has been working for last 17 years. It works with peoples movements, doctors, researchers and activists besides trade unions, human rights, environmental, consumer and public health groups. BANI demands criminal liability for companies and medico-legal remedy for victims. For Details: krishnagreen@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Ban on indigenous chrysotile asbestos mining lifted

New Delhi: 4/3/2009: Despite the asbestos disease epidemic in US, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Africa and elsewhere, a recent document titled "HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT STUDIES IN ASBESTOS BASED INDUSTRIES IN INDIA" by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Union Ministry of Environment Forests has failed to recommend ban on asbestos. The study was undertaken by the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow for the CPCB. The political patronage enjoyed by the industry is an open secret. It is clear from the document that the ban on indigenous chrysotile asbestos mining has been lifted.

Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) has written letters to the President, Vice President, National Human Rights Commission and the Defence Minister drawing their urgent attention towards a serious unprecedented environmental and occupational health crisis with regard to unnoticed asbestos epidemic in the country. Even if one asbestos fibre reaches the right place, it causes irreversible damage - leading to asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma. Thirty deaths are caused per day from asbestos-relateddiseases as per estimates based on US and European studies.

It has drawn their attention to the order of Kerala Human Rights Commission that has ruled that exposing Indians to asbestos is a human rights violation. This paves the way for the eventual complete ban on asbestos and its products. On January 31, 2009, the Commission ruled that the government should take steps to phase out asbestos roofing from all schools in the state.

BANI has requested these authorities to act immediately in public interest to ensure that use of the of all kinds of asbestos products is stopped because it is being used and encountered daily, because none of the schools, offices, legislatures, courts, hospitals, automobiles, private and public buildings in our country are asbestos free in our country. It has sought a Register of asbestos handlers and victims and award a compensation of at least Rs 20 lakh for the asbestos victims among other things.

According to the 2008 report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, “A technical person in the Gujarat State Pollution Control Board spares 1.77 days to monitor an industry in a year...while in Maharashtra the person spends only 1.23 days a year. This includes time taken on travelling.”The Committee's Report on the Functioning of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is must set the alaram belling ringing. Underlining the malaise that afflicts CPCB the Parliamentary Committee agrees with the Supreme Court’s monitoring committee on hazardous waste observation that 77 per cent chairpersons and 55 per cent member secretaries in State Pollution Control Boards are not qualified enough to hold the post.

How handicapped has our environmental regulatory bodies is best illustrated in the manner in which asbestos is allowed to be used in the country despite the fact that some 50 countries have banned it and even International Labour Organisation and World Health Organisation call for its elimination. Even World Trade Organisation upheld theright of the Europe to ban this incurable cancer cauding killer fiber. In case of asbestos, a carcinogen, India has no policy to discourage its use in textiles, building materials, insulation and brake linings in automobiles. Since the import of asbestos is cheaper than any of its alternatives like poly venyl alcohol, there is no economicincentive to shift to cleaner production. There are alternatives within India also like natural cellulose fibre and a lot of research has been done on it, but there is little budget to promote it in the market. The situation with regard to monitoring of occupational health concerns arising from the ongoing manufacturing of asbestos productsis no different. In fact it is worse. The manner in which one of the world's most vulnerable work force in the asbestos and ship breaking industry is compelled to work in degrading, dangerous and highly exploitative condition is a case of outrageous barbarism with active connivance of the government.

When the world is preparing and planning to get rid of all forms of asbestos, it makes us look stupid in India to be still importing it and lifting the ban on chrysotile asbestos mining, we should devote our scarce resources to prevent the impending disaster by phasing it out as soon as we can. Safer substitute materials for white asbestos are available, they should be considered for use.

It is high time Government of India took note of ongoing asbestos exposures of citizens, consumers and workers and took immediate remedial measures. The exposure of construction workers and automobile mechanics for instance defies regulatory control efforts in any country.

In the foreword to the CPCB report, J. M. Mauskar, the ex-officio Chairman of the CPCB and Joint Secretary, MoEF writes, "Asbestos is mainly used for manufacturing asbestos-cement sheets, asbestos-cement pipes, brake lining, clutch lining, asbestos yarn & ropes, gaskets & seals etc. Organised asbestos industrial units are mostly using imported chrysotile variety of asbestos. The indigenous asbestos is mostly used by the unorganized sector. This report provides detailed information on human risk of asbestos exposure and its health effects. The study includes asbestos monitoring at work environment, characterization and toxicity of indigenous asbestos, occupational and personal histories of workers, their clinical examinations, lung function tests and chest radiological examinations. It appears from the present investigation that unorganized units have poor industrial hygiene conditions. The report also recommends various preventive measures to reduce the risk of workers exposed to asbestos." Underlining its risk it makes the following recommendations that ends up promoting mythical safe and controlled use of asbestos in order to safeguard the asbestos industry's lust for profit at any human cost. In the light of the study, the following recommendations that tantamounts to lip service in the absence of complete ban have been made to reduce the human risk of asbestos exposure and its health hazard:

1. All the workers should be provided with medical surveillance by the employer. Medical surveillance programme should consist of the following: • Pre- employment medical surveillance • Periodic medical examination • Medical examination at cessation of employment • Maintenance of medical records; and • Health education Medical examination record should be maintained and stored for a period of 10 years following the termination of employment, or for 40 years after first day of employment, whichever is later. The Medical Doctor appointed for examining the workers should be trained in Occupational Health. This will facilitate early detection of occupational related diseases in the workers. In order to comply the recommendations contained in IS:11451-1986, employer should stop existing practice of employment of temporary, contract workers or daily wage workers.2. The Ministry of Mines had decided to continue the ban on mining of amphibole variety of asbestos. By the time this ban is implemented in totality, following measures are required to be taken by the asbestos milling units of Rajasthan. • Preferably complete plant machinery requires to be redesigned with proper engineering controls to reduce asbestos fibre emission. • Manual handling of asbestos should be reduced to minimum. • Fugitive emissions generated needs to be controlled. • Asbestos bearing stones should be stored in a covered shed to avoid fugitive emission. • All material transfer point should be connected to dust extraction system. 3. Floor should be cleaned by vaccum cleaner only. 4. Workers likely to get exposed to asbestos should wear protective clothing and respiratory equipment. 5. The asbestos based product manufacturing industries should operate and maintain the air pollution control devices properly so as to comply with the emission standards of 0.2 fibre / cc for asbestos fibre and 2 mg / Nm3 for total dust. The monitoring should be carried out regularly and data should be submitted to State Pollution Control Board and Central Pollution Control Board. 6. The asbestos fibre concentration at work place should not exceed 1 fibre / cc, as per Factories Act, 1948. 7. The asbestos based units should get asbestos fibre monitoring done on regular basis. 8. All the organized and unorganized industries should ensure good house keeping practices to reduce the asbestos exposure. 9. Work place asbestos standards should be brought down from 1 fibre/cc to 0.1 fibre/cc under the Factories Act, 1948 to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure. 10. Workers should be given education about the risk associated with asbestos dust exposure, potential health effects, etc. 11. Display board should be provided showing the hazards associated with asbestos and recommended precautionary measures.

Although some 60 countries have recognized that safe and controlled use of asbestos of all kinds is not possible, CPCB under tremendous influence of the asbestos industry recommends standards even at the risk of sounding ridiculous in the comity of nations.

It has come to light through RIght to Information application and admitted in the parliament by the Minister concerned that the studies conducted by the national occupational health institute is being funded by the chrysotile asbestos industry. The recent CPCB document refers to Project Advisory Committee members whose suggestions were deemed valuable but nowhere in the document does one find the names of these members. One would not be surprised if these members who facilitated the lifting of ban on mining of chrysotile asbestos and influenced the study to recommend continued use and manufacture were representatives from the chrysotile asbestos.

Health Matters

Ban on Asbestos is a Must

A study in a peer-reviewed journal had earlier estimated that there could be more than 6,000 workers affected by asbestosis (an untreatable lung ailment) and another 600 suffering at the minimum from asbestosis-related lung cancer in India at present. Occupational cancer from asbestos, the disease caused by emissions at the work place, poses an increasingly serious health problem. But the subject has attracted relatively little attention from industry, labour, public health bodies or the medical profession. Asbestos is one of the single largest sources of occupational cancer. Indian polticians are acting as if they are bonded workers of asbestos industry.

World Trade Center, New York collapsed Thousands of tons of asbestos became airborne.

Back in 1981, there was research coming out that Asbestos was cancer causing and this ad was in rebuttal to that research touting the benefits of using Asbestos. The text over the Twin Towers states, "When the Fire Alarm Went Off, It Took Two Hours to Evacuate New York's World Trade Center." I do not need to remind anyone of the images of September 11th and this ad. The copy below the ad goes on to mention all of the places that Asbestos was used in the World Trade Center. I can not not think of all of the innocent victims in the area that were exposed to all of the dust, smoke and inherent asbestos that was in the air after the buildings collapsed. The cloud of smoke went across the entire city and potentially exposed hundreds of thousands of individuals to asbestos. Hopefully there can be a cure or treatment for Mesothelioma before all of these potential victims are diagnosed.

Ban Use of Asbestos Products

Apex Court allocates meagre compensation for asbetsos victims

In 1995, the Supreme Court of India fixed Rs 1 lakh compensation amount and identified National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) as the final authority to certify asbestosis cases. Compensations are given through the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). Two workers in Ahmedabad Electricity Company diagnosed as having asbestosis by NIOH have been compensated by Gujarat High Court. Twenty-five workers in asbestos jointing and packing industry at Mumbai were compensated by the Special medical board of ESIC. The court ruled that the industrial units must maintain a health record of every worker up to a minimum period of 40 years; insure workers under the Employees State Insurance Act or Workmen’s Compensation Act and give health coverage to every worker.

Asbestos Victims

Every day estimated 30 deaths in India is under way due to the ongoing trade and use of white asbestos. 'Asbestos' in Greek means 'indestructible'. Greeks called asbestos the 'magic mineral'. Asbestos is a generic term, referring usually to six kinds of naturally occuring mineral fibres. Of these six, three are used more commonly. Chrysotile is the most common, accounts for almost 90 per cent of the asbestos used in the industry, but it is not unusual to encounter Amosite or Crocidolite as well. Though Crocidolite asbestos is banned in India, it can still be found in old insulation material, old ships that come from other countries for wrecking in India. All types of asbestos tend to break into very tiny fibre, almost microscopic. In fact, some of them may be up to 700 times smaller than human hair. Because of their small size, once released into the air, they may stay suspended in the air for hours or even days. Asbestos fibres are virtually indestructible. They are resistant to chemicals and heat, and are very stable in the environment. They do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water, and they do not break down over time. Because of its high durability and with tensile strength asbestos has been widely used inconstruction and insulation materials - it has been used in over 3,000 different products. Where do we use it? In India, asbestos is used in manufacture of pressure and non pressure pipes used for water supply, sewage, irrigation and drainage system in urban and rural areas, asbestos textiles, laminated products, tape, gland packing, packing ropes, brake lining and jointing used in core sector industries such as automobile, heavy equipment, petro-chemicals, nuclear power plants, fertilizers, thermal power plants, transportation, defence.

Vladimir Putin government set up a panel of experts to give an opinion on a possible Russian asbestos ban. The panel’s report gave an impassioned defence of asbestos use. Dr Izmerov gave a presentation on "Chrysotile. Russian Experience in Occupational Health" at the International Conference on Chrysotile in Montreal during May 23 - 24, 2006. Russia exported 152, 820 MT of chrysotile asbestos to India in 2006.